I Serve Princess Rin
by Live4Kagamine
Summary: A Servant of Evil Sub-Story. Len's view of the events that go unseen in the original Vocaloid PV.
1. Live to Serve part I

_My best friend, my only family, my first love and my only love is you my dear sister. Destiny divided pitiful twins. Although you do not remember this, I long only to be at your side. If it's to protect you, I will even become evil. _

The dust rose as I walked along the only road leading to the castle that day. Those dirty streets had become the permanent residence of the country's homeless, out of work due to the poor economy. People could barely provide for themselves. With all of the high taxes imposed by the crown, the little money people did make went straight to the tax collectors. But this is not a story about them. This is not a story about the poor I saw, the country, or the world. I was there traveling that road to the castle, because it was my fourteenth birthday, or, rather, it was the princess' fourteenth birthday. My twin sister was Princess Rin.

I arrived at the castle. The castle doors opened and I was greeted by several of the castle attendants. They knew why I was there, returning after all of these years, but were not allowed to say anything about it. I had been informed ahead of time of what they had told the princess. They told her that her brother was dead, that he had died before she could remember. The truth was that I had been taken away to another country to be educated and trained to be a "perfect servant." This is why I was there that day, to fulfill my role and reunite with my sister without her knowing it was I, her long lost twin brother.

I was led up a grand staircase by one of the attendants. As I went up, I observed the interior of the castle. It was so very different than the village I had just walked through. The castle was lavish with paintings on the walls and expensive furniture in each room. It almost seemed as if the entire world's treasure was there. I followed the attendant up many steps, then down a hallway, until finally we reached a door. The attendant told me to wait in the hall until she announced my arrival to the princess. Finally, I would get to see my sister again, the only one who had loved me back when no one else did. Although she would not remember me, I would always remember her. I put my ear to the door to listen.

"What do you mean personal servant!?", exclaimed a voice I recognized to be Rin's.

"My lady, it was your parents wish that when you turned fourteen you would be assigned your own personal servant."

"I don't care what my parents said! I don't want some filthy country boy to be following me around all day! Get rid of him!"

"So, you do not remember after all, my cute sibling?", I said to myself.

Of course I felt hurt on the inside, but I knew it was not her fault. They had planned it to be this way, they who controlled our destiny. Anticipation grew within me. After so long, I was back to make things right. I could not stand it any longer. I had to see her again. Without thinking, I rushed in. There, I saw a beautiful young woman with blonde hair wearing an extravagant yellow and black dress. I was examining her and she must have been examining me too. A look of disbelief showed on her face. As if it were instinct, I bowed and spurted out, "My name is Len. From this day forward, I serve Princess Rin."


	2. Live to Serve part II

"My lady, this is him", said the attendant who then, with a slight bow, excused herself.

"Forgive my intrusion, your highness", I spurted out again.

The look of disbelief still on her face, her eyes shifted to a painting hanging on a far wall. It was a painting of us when we were little. We were lying in a flowerbed, as care free as can be. I realized that she must think we look alike, just as we did back then. After a few seconds, Rin shook her head and came out of her daze.

"You said your name was Len, right? And you are my personal servant?"

"That's right, my lady", I said, standing as straight as I possibly could.

"You can relax now, Len. I will not have you put in the stocks just yet. However, as you may have heard, it is my birthday and the first anniversary of my rise to the throne. I have no time to deal with you now. I must prepare for my birthday parade. If you wish, you may ride with me in my carriage."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Pardon me, princess", said the same attendant who had brought me up there, "Josephine has been hitched to your carriage. We are ready to begin."

"It's about time! Len, are you coming?"

"I will not leave your side, Princess", I told her.

I followed her down the staircase. When we reached the bottom, every attendant in sight bowed to the princes and a well-dressed man with long, purple hair tied in a ponytail approached us.

"Your highness, I have taken the liberty of preparing a fleet of guards to line the streets during your parade. Although unlikely, there may be those who want to bring harm upon you. This is for your own protection."

"Don't be ridiculous, minister", said Rin. "All of my citizens love me. They know that if they don't, there will be severe consequences."

"Still, my princess, I must insist upon the guards."

"If it will put your mind at ease, minister. We must hurry. It is almost three o'clock."

We were on our way. The trumpets sounded as the procession entered the village. Every person in the village was ordered to attend. They were all forced to look upon the princess. Oh course, this is exactly what Rin wanted, she wanted people to look upon her, then look upon themselves and remember their place.

The ride down the road was a bumpy one. Every few blocks, one of the guards would announce, "Make way for her highness, Princess Rin", and the crowd would look upon us with their dirty faces. If I had been seeing this with anyone else, I would have felt remorse for the suffering villagers. But I was with Rin, my sister and my princess. If this was what she wanted, I would not question it. As long as I could be at her side, then I would be happy.

I looked across the carriage to where Rin sat. It was just the two of us. I noticed that, despite this birthday celebration, Rin seemed completely disinterested. She was looking out the window but was not focused on the people or the town.

"My princess, does this not please you?", I asked her.

"What, oh, well...of course it does. Did you not see? I have all the riches in the world."

"If you are happy, why, then, do you not look happy?"

"Huh...well, I don't know. You know, for a servant, you are asking some very strange questions."

"I'm sorry, your highness."

Rin went back to looking out the window.

"It's okay. It's just that no one has ever asked me if I ever really wanted these things. For, as long as I can remember, I have always tried to obtain more and more riches."

"I see", I told her in a soft voice. I lowered my head. There was no denying it, Rin had changed while I was away. Those people had shaped her life into this, just as they had shaped mine. However, I believed that the true Rin, the Rin I knew from my childhood, still existed somewhere within the Princess I saw.

"But, Princess, is there something you truly desire for yourself?"

Rin's eyes widened and her face became flushed. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. There was a pause as Rin looked to the floor of the carriage. Then, in a small voice, she said,

"Actually, I do have something I have wanted for quite some time now. You see, it's really more of a wish that would only come true in a dream. My one and only desire is-"

"Princess, danger, look out!"

This sudden yell made us both look out the carriage window. I remember seeing one of the guards on the ground and another guard standing over him, covered in his blood. Then I saw it, the reason for the commotion. One of the villagers had broken through the line of guards and was coming this way. As he was running toward us, I caught sight of a knife he was holding in his hand. It occurred to me that none of the guards were close enough to intercept him before he would reach the carriage.

"Princess, get away from the side!", I cried.

The man jumped onto the carriage platform and, with eyes fixed on the princess, yelled,

"The Daughter of Evil must die!"

I jumped from across the carriage to come between the knife the man had swung into the carriage window and the princess. I remember everything got blurry and started to fade. Before everything went dark, I heard the voice of my sister cry,

"Len!"

I then became unconscious.

........................

"Will he be alright?"

"He should be waking up very soon. He needs to rest."

"I want to wait here until he does wake up."

"Of course, you highness. If there is nothing more, I shall take my leave."

I heard a door shut. I finally had the strength to open my eyes and when I did, the first thing I saw was my sister's adorable face. Her eyes were slightly wet. What had happened? Where was I? Then I remembered what had happened. I sat up quickly from the bed I was in.

"Princess, are you alright?"

Tears started to fall down her cheeks. Then a slight smile.

"I was right. For a servant, you really are quite strange."

"Princess, I remember the man who tried to harm you. What hap-"

"The man was apprehended and thrown into the dungeon. He now awaits his execution day."

I gave a slight smile too. Thank goodness she was alright.

"You saved me, Len", she said. "You came between me and the knife, even at the risk of your own life. Although the injury you received was not life threatening, it was something not very many people would do for me. Thank you Len."

I was taken back. The person I was looking at now was not the young woman I served but my very cute twin sister who would play with me in the flowerbeds. I knew it, she still existed somewhere inside the princess.

"It looks as though you will be staying with us for awhile. This will be your room from now on. Now get some rest, there is a lot I expect my servant to do for me."

As Rin began to walk toward the door, I said to her,

"You didn't ever tell me the one thing you desired most, Princess."

She turned around and, wiping a tear from her cheek, said

"I may already have it. A person who will care for me with all of their heart, just as I remember my twin brother did."

She smiled and walked out.

"Yes, my dear sister who is also my princess", I whispered to myself. "I will make sure your wish is granted. After all, I live to serve you, Princess Rin."

(And so it begins! If you enjoyed the story so far and want to read more, please support me by reviewing this story. Arigatou Gozaimasu!!!)


	3. The Ball for Prince Kaito

"And so, the subject is charged with speaking out, publicly, against the crown," announced the guard.

"What do you wish to do with him, your highness?", asked another guard to Princess Rin, who was seated in her throne.

"Things around the castle have been pretty boring lately and I haven't seen an execution in a while. I think.....OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

With these words, Princess Rin's eyes widened and she gave off a demonic laugh. However, the young man in question did not appear surprised. He stood completely still, looking at the Princess. His eyes did not hold anger or fear but something else. Perhaps it was peace. As the guards led him out the door, the man stopped instantly and turned around to face Rin.

"It's true what they say, you really are the Daughter of Evil."

"Guards, take him outside to the town. We shall make his beheading a public spectacle to remind everyone what happens to those who speak against me!"

And with that he was gone. That was the way my sister chose to run her country, the Country of Yellow. Those who only knew her as a ruler thought of her as evil, but I knew better. Being the secret twin brother of Princess Rin, who had recently become her personal servant, I knew that there was more to my dear sister. Before we were separated, she was the only one who had loved me, the only one who had been concerned about me at all. Since my return to the Country of Yellow, I had been reminded that my dear sister still existed inside the Princess I serve.

Rin turned to me, who was standing next to her throne, and said,

"Len, all of this work has made me hungry. Go and see what food has been prepared for me today."

"Certainly Princess", I replied.

I was the servant and it was my job to make sure all of the Princess' wishes came true, including the wishes of her heart. Although she may not remember me as her brother, she did see me as a friend.

Making my way to the kitchen, I stopped suddenly at the feeling of a hand on my shoulder.

"Wait a second, Len. May I have a word with you in private?"

I turned around and realized that the person who had addressed me was the well-dressed man with purple hair that the Princess had called minister. We went into an empty room and had a seat at a table.

The man started off by saying,

"I know who you are. You are the twin brother of our Princess. I know this because I have lived in this castle my entire life. My father was the royal minister who served the previous rulers and when the position of ruler was changed so was the position of minister. Although I am not too much older than you, I remember the day you left the castle, taken way to live in another country. I must tell you, since that day, the Princess has never cared for anyone as much as she did back then for you; no one, that is, until the day you came back and saved her life."

I must have looked puzzled because he had been very serious up until that point but then smiled and said,

"You must forgive me. My name is Gakupo. I am indeed the minister. I am telling you all of this because that day, the Princess was sincerely happy for the first time since you left. Seeing her happy made me happy too. I would like to see her happier from now on. I know she does not realize who you really are but you have become some one very special to her in such a short time. You can make her happy. I'm counting on you, Len".

I nodded and he left without waiting for my response to what he had told me.

"_What a strange man_", I thought, "_but he seems to care about Princess Rin just as I do_"

And then I remembered, "Oh, the food!", and hurried to the kitchen.

* * *

Heading back to the throne room with the snacks, I overheard Rin talking with a few of her other attendants and several of her advisers. I stopped at the door to listen in.

"The Country of Blue's royal family is said to be looking for a wife for their son, Prince Kaito", said an adviser. "They have been traveling to different countries to find the perfect woman to become his wife and my sources tell me that they will be stopping here in the Country of Yellow very soon".

Another adviser said, "My Princess, you should take this opportunity to get to know the Prince and convince him that you are the woman he is looking for."

"This is good", said Rin, "How do you suppose I do this?"

"My Princess, I propose holding a ball for the Country of Blue's royal family and their court. If you can get Prince Kaito to marry you, not only will you have a husband, but a Blue-Yellow alliance will result in the most powerful country in the world, a country which you will lead."

"Attendants", cried Rin, "prepare the castle for a grand ball. Make sure to invite all people of noble blood. The ball shall take place as soon as Prince Kaito arrives."

Rin then dismissed her attendants and advisers.

"_Will Rin really marry a Prince from another country?_", I thought.

For some reason, I felt uncomfortable at the thought of my sister being married just for the sake of the country but inside I knew that if this was what she wanted, I would not interfere.

I had been still trying to take this all in when I heard,

"Len, where are you?"

I walked into the throne room and, kneeling before Rin, I said,

"Today's snack is brioche".

Rin smiled at this. She looked so innocent when she smiled this way that, once again, I was reminded of the kind and caring sister from my childhood.

"Thank you, Len", she said, "Now we must prepare for our ball for the Prince of Blue".

* * *

Days passed and the castle became quite busy with people running around trying to decorate the castle for the big event. Fancy foods were being brought in from all over. Everything was being done to make sure Prince Kaito would be impressed. Not long after preparations were complete, we received word that the royal family of Blue had arrived. Everyone in the castle was very excited, including Princess Rin.

"Len, please meet up with Prince Kaito once he arrives at the castle", said Rin. "Show him to his chambers and make sure he has everything he needs to get ready for tonight's ball."

"Of course, my Princess", I said.

Rin did not want to meet Prince Kaito until the ball started. There, she planned to make a grand entrance, which, she said, would amaze him. I waited outside until the carriages pulled up to the castle's main entrance. That was when I first saw him, the heir to the throne of the Country of Blue, Prince Kaito.

"From my princess, I bid you greetings and invite you to tonight's ball being held in honor of your arrival, Prince Kaito", I told him.

Prince Kaito was a young man with blue hair. As I stood there looking at him, I could tell his mind was somewhere else.

"On behalf of the royal family of Blue, I accept this invitation".

I led him up to the guest chambers and told him when the ball would start. He thanked me but said he wished to be left alone until then. It was mid-afternoon and it would not be long before guests began to arrive. I decided to go back to Rin's chambers and await her orders.

* * *

The time for the ball to begin had arrived. Looking from the balcony out over the ballroom, I noticed that all the nobles were in attendance and saw Prince Kaito was at his seat as the Guest of Honor. As the musicians began to play their next piece, I remembered the balls that used to be held in this very same room back when I was a small child. I never understood why nobles made such a fuss about these events. There was never anyone for me to talk to except for Rin.

"Len, please tell the Princess we are ready to announce her", said one of the attendants.

"Sure", I told them.

I made my way to Rin's dressing room. Knocking twice on the door, I said, "Princess Rin, are you ready?"

I didn't hear an immediate answer. Just as I was about to knock again the door opened. Standing before me was a gorgeous young woman wearing an extravagant black dress. My dear twin sister amazed me with her beauty.

"My lady", I said, "You look lovely."

Rin smiled. "You really think so? I wasn't sure if it looked okay."

"You could not possibly be more lovely. Ask anyone and they will tell you that you are the most beautiful woman here tonight. Come now, my Princess, we are ready to announce you."

I gave here my arm to escort her. She wrapped her own arm around mine, laughing innocently to herself. We walked together to the ballroom where I let her go when we reached the stairs.

"Announcing, her highness, Princess Rin", cried the announcer.

All eyes were on the Princess as she walked down the stairs with grace and poise. I took my place next to Rin as the ball began with a banquet. After the meal, it was time for dancing. I watched as Rin danced with the sons of the nobles. She was waiting for her chance to be with Prince Kaito. That chance finally came several hours later when Prince Kaito approached her and led her out to the courtyard. The next song began and they started their dance. I continued to watch from the ballroom. they both looked magnificent, especially Rin because it seemed as if the moonlight radiated off of her.

Just then, Gakupo approached me.

"What do you think, Len? Do you think the Princess is happy?"

"I don't know", I replied, "something about this arrangement concerns me."

Gakupo sighed. "You have a keen eye, Len. I'm glad the Princess has a servant as observant as you. Unfortunately, you are correct, something is not right with these two. This plan to ensure Princess Rin's marriage to Prince Kaito seemed like a good plan at first. However, my sources have informed me that, although Princess Rin thinks highly of Prince Kaito, the feeling is not mutual."

"I don't understand, Minister, what do you mean?", I asked.

I glanced over to Rin in the courtyard. It looked as if Prince Kaito was saying something to Rin but I couldn't make out what it was. Then I noticed tears falling down Rin's cheek as Prince Kaito made his way back into the castle. Something was wrong. I ran across the ballroom, running through the crowd, to get to Rin. When I reached her, she was on the ground, still crying.

"Princess, what's wrong?", I asked.

She tried to stand but started to fall again. I caught her and held her tight. Tears had completely filled her eyes.

"My Princess, please don't cry. Tell me what you need now and I will get it for you. If you need me to do something, I will do it. Just please tell me what I can do to make you happy".

She tried to speak through her crying.

"Oh, Len, I don't understand. I...I...I really like Prince Kaito. I know this ball was just part of a plan to create an alliance with the Country of Blue but at some point, I fell in love with him. I really fell in love with Prince Kaito and I thought he was going to tell me he loved me too but...but he said ...he couldn't ever fall in love with a tyrant. Am I a tyrant Len? Why can't he love me too? I just...I just..."

"My Princess", I told her, "Please forget about what Prince Kaito said. None of it is true. You are the Princess of Yellow. Please remember, I will always be at your side."

Rin looked at me. The moonlight was brightly shining on her face. We stood in silence for a moment, staring at each other. Finally, Rin smiled. The tears that had filled eyes suddenly disappeared. I was instantly filled with happiness, the happiness that only comes from the smile of my adorable sibling.

The last song ended and the musicians began the next one. Hoping to fill my sister with the same happiness she had given me, I smiled and asked her,

"My Princess, may I have this dance?"

Once again, a smile appeared on her face. She gave me her hand and we began to slowly dance. As we danced, I became filled with a new joy. Every second that passed felt more like minutes. Each step we took slowed time even more. If only we could have stayed like this forever. Just the two of us. My sister, my princess, in my arms forever where I could hold her close and protect her from the evils of the world.

As we continued dancing, Rin began to speak.

"Len, I'm going to show him, I going to show Prince Kaito that he's wrong about me. He doesn't understand now, but he will. I'm going to make him fall in love with me. I'm going to..."

"Enough about Prince Kaito tonight, Princess", I said silently to her. "Don't worry about such things now. Live in the joy of this moment."

"You're right, I'm sorry", she said.

She looked into my eyes again.

"Thank you, Len"

"You're welcome, Princess. Please remember, I am not only your servant but also your friend. Your happiness is my happiness too."

With a peaceful look on her face, she rested her head on my shoulder as we continued dancing.

"_My dear sister_", I thought to myself, "_I will never let you go. That is the duty of a brother_."


	4. Journey to the Country of Pink part I

"_Why the twins? Why now? I will continue to rule the country as I always have."_

"_It's not that simple, dear. With the current state of the country, we need a strong leader to lead us back to prosperity. You can't do that now, not in your condition."_

"_Are you saying I'm no longer fit to be king!"_

"_I'm saying that your rule will end soon. It is only a matter of time until someone else will rule in your place. This is why we need to choose the next heir now."_

"_Obviously, it will be Len."_

"_No. Seven generations of male rulers have brought nothing but further turmoil. Kings have been replaced, one after another. These changes have created an instability which has thrown the country off balance. If Len becomes king, he will also have a short reign."_

"_You can't mean Rin will be the heir!"_

"_Exactly. With the proper training and guidance, she will become a splendid ruler over the country. I know she has what it takes somewhere inside her. Unfortunately, it is hidden under the overly cheerful nature she exhibits when she is with her brother. For her to unlock her potential, she must stop this foolishness immediately. In order to do that, we must separate her from Len."_

"_Would you really separate the twins just so you can turn Rin into the ruler you want her to be?"_

"_Remember, dear, this is not for my good but the good of the entire country. You will do this, won't you? You will separate them?"_

"…_It looks as though you leave me with no choice. I know someone in a far away village who will look over Len while you prepare Rin here."_

"_Excellent. Let it take place, for the good of Yellow."_

Those voices in my head, I knew them. Although I hadn't heard them in years, they still filled me with fear. Those voices belonged to the previous king and queen of Yellow. I suppose you could call them our parents. Rin and I never received much parenting from them. They were always too busy to pay attention to us. All we had were ourselves … at least, until that day.

I had been reliving my last day in the castle, my last day with Rin. I remember overhearing this conversation then. My mother's decision to separate us and my father reluctantly going along with the plan; the conversation that destroyed my world and everything I had held dear to me. I had since reunited with Rin but I knew things could never be the same again.

"Len…Len… are you even listening? Len… wake up, Len."

"Huh, what!"

I had been abruptly pulled out of my sleep and found myself sitting in the royal carriage which was in motion. Across from me sat my sister, Rin, who was now giving me a glare. Seated next to me was our purple-haired minister, Gakupo.

"_So it was just a dream"_, I thought to myself. _"Thank goodness"._

"Len", cried Rin, "You're on your first mission outside of the village and you have the nerve to fall asleep!"

"S…Sorry, my lady", I spurted out as I tried to regain my posture.

"Heh, it's alright Len", said Gakupo as he turned to me with a smile. "I made sure nothing happened to the princess here."

Nevertheless, I was still embarrassed that I had fallen asleep on my job. My face felt warm and I had a feeling I was turning red.

Rin's glare eased up and she started to look a little worried.

"Len, you're sweating. Are you alright?"

I felt my forehead. She was right. Gakupo handed me a handkerchief I used to wipe my face.

"Oh yes, I'm fine, princess. So, what did I miss?"

"The minister was just going over the details of our trip."

"That's right. Len, we are headed to the Country of Pink, a smaller and less known country than our own. However, since the beginning of both Pink and Yellow, the royal families of each country have shared a friendship which has proved useful whenever either one of us needs assistance. A visit to Pink by the ruler of Yellow takes places every three years. This year happens to be one of those years. While in Pink please present yourself in your best manner so we may ensure a continued friendship with them for years to come."

"Don't worry so much, minister", said Rin. "After all, I am the number one princess in the world."

We all had a good laugh at Rin's comment as we grew closer and closer to our destination in the Country of Pink.

….

About an hour later the carriage was pulling up in front of a large castle which strongly resembled our castle back in Yellow. As we exited the carriage we were greeted by several women who, I would guess by their attire, were probably workers of the castle. Upon seeing Rin, they broke off into two separate lines, one on each side of the main pathway to the castle's grand door. As the three of us walked down the path, each of the women dropped to their knees as a sign of reverence toward Rin.

At the end of the path awaited two more women who seemed to stand out from the others. One had long, yellow hair tied back in a ponytail and wore a grey dress. This person frowned as she watched us approach. The other wore a suit of orange armor and had bright green hair kept down by her red-tinted goggles. Unlike the other woman, she seemed to have a friendly disposition about her.

"Good day, Princess of Yellow", said the yellow-haired one. "My name is Neru and I act as the personal handmaid to the Princess of Pink. This here is…"

"My name is Gumi", interrupted the other. "I'm head of security and the highest ranking knight here in Pink."

"Nice to meet you both", said Gakupo who then introduced himself and me.

"I like what I've seen of your country", I said. "It's quite beautiful."

Rin took a sudden step forward.

"Yeah, yeah, it's real nice. What I want to know is how much longer it will be until I can see the Princess."

"Have some patience, please, Princess Rin", said Neru. "There are some rules which I want to go over with you before…"

"Rules are boring, Neru", Gumi interrupted again. "Besides, your job was to welcome our guests, not put them to sleep. Come with me, I'll show you in."

Neru looked even more annoyed now but we continued to follow Gumi into the castle.

….

Entering the castle, I was drawn to bright colors all around. The castle walls were decorated with beautiful paintings and covered with stain glass windows. The room we were in was very big.

"Welcome, dear friends of Yellow", said a voice from across the room.

We all looked to see who had addressed us. Across the room, sitting on her throne, sat the Princess of Pink. She was a very beautiful young woman who seemed to be a little older than Rin and I. She had long, pink hair and wore an extravagant pink dress.

"May I introduce to you, our princess, Princess Luka of Pink", announced Neru.

"I was wondering if we were ever going to see you, Luka", Rin announced sounding displeased.

"Well if it isn't little sis", said Luka. "I see you haven't changed any".

"Little sis?", I whispered to Gakupo.

"Since Rin and Luka are around the same age they consider themselves to be siblings", he whispered back. " ~I guess that makes her your sister too~ ."

"….."

Princess Luka suddenly looked in my direction.

"I remember your minister, Gakupo, but who's this? He has the same color hair as you, Rin. In fact, you two look remarkably alike. Is he your long lost brother?"

"_Right on the mark",_ I thought.

That is Len. He's my personal servant. He hasn't been with me long but has proved himself dependable and is very bright…..despite his dumbfounded facial expressions.

"_Thanks Rin…I guess"_

Gakupo stepped forward to address the princesses.

"My princesses, now that we are here why not begin with the Pink-Yellow conference?"

"I agree with the minister", said Neru. "We shouldn't waste any time, especially with _**that**_ matter to attend to."

"Aww…but I don't wanna work now",Rin declared.

"Come on, sis, we can go together", Luka assured her. "The conference will be held with the high ranking officials of Pink in the House of Nobles, located in the building next door. Gumi, go with a few of the maids to see that Princess Rin's carriage is attended to."

Rin then approached me.

"Len, you can go with her. You don't need to be with me during the conference."

"If that is what you wish, Princess", I responded.

Rin, Luka, Gakupo, and Neru, along with a few of Luka's handmaids, then headed to the next building over to attend the meeting.

….

Back outside several of the castle's attendants were unhitching the horses from the carriages and I thought I'd lend a hand.

"Princess Rin seemed really happy to see Princess Luka", mentioned Gumi. "I guess three years is a long time for siblings to be apart."

"…You think so?"

Gumi's remark made me think back to when I was away from Rin. I was in exile, alone from the only person I had loved. That time away felt like an eternity. I could feel the loneliness coming back. It was a dark and heavy feeling, like a great weight had been tied around me and was dragging me down into a deep pit.

"Well, I guess any time away from someone you care about can seem like a long time."

"…I think you're right, Gumi."

"Hey now, don't look so sad. You and the others just got here."

"You're right. Sorry."

The horses from the carriage had been unhitched, so Gumi and I decided to take them to the stables. It really was a beautiful day. I had wished the princess could have spent this day enjoying the scene of this foreign country instead of talking politics. I imagined us observing the beauty of Pink's unique flowers or simply listening to some of the country's folk music while we drank tea. However, I knew that the sooner we finished here the sooner we could get back home. Besides, I wasn't feeling that well. It was during this daydream that I heard something from the stables.

_BOOOOOOM! _

There had been an explosion and from the sound of the blast it had occurred not too far from where we were. Looking out the stable door, I saw rising smoke. Gumi came running over from where she was.

"That's the House of Nobles!" , Gumi exclaimed.

As soon as she said that I realized that Rin and the others were in danger. What could have happened? Would Rin be alright? I barley had any time to imagine what might have happened. Instinct kicked in and I was running as fast as I could toward the rising smoke.

"_Hang on, Rin. I'm on my way."_


End file.
